THE KARNOFSKY PERFORMANCE STATUS SCALE REEXAMINED - A CROSS-VALIDATION WITH THE EORTC-C30

A cross-validation of the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and quali ty of life (QOL) as measured by item 30 of the quality of life questio nnaire developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatme nt of Cancer Study Group (EORTC QLQ-C30) was conducted using ordered l ogit analysis and prospective data from a continuous sample of 139 lun g cancer patients. The QOL is found to be a much broader concept than the KPS, since it likely captures not only physical functioning but al so functioning in the non-physical dimensions of social, emotional, an d possibly cognitive well-being as well as the level of distress in th e physical dimensions of pain, breathing and fatigue. These results su ggest that the palliative treatment of advanced cancer and the termina lly ill should be guided by a broad concept of well-being that goes be yond one based only on physical functioning.